JP6555926B2 - Method and system for determining at least one road-related information - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a method and system for determining at least one road-related information. The invention further relates to a computer program.

  In road traffic networks, it is generally important to identify the location of lighting signals for navigation in compliance with the law. Many navigation systems that include multiple digital maps are known, however, they are often incomplete or contain errors.

  Therefore, there is a demand for the position of the lighting signal and particularly the phase (signal phase) of the lighting signal.

  An object of the present invention is to provide a method for determining at least one road-related information, which can determine the position of a lighting signal as road-related information.

  It is also an object of the present invention to provide a corresponding system.

  A further object of the present invention is to provide a corresponding computer program.

  The object is solved by the inventions described in the independent claims. Further advantageous configurations of the invention are also described in the dependent claims.

According to one aspect of the present invention, a method for determining at least one road related information is provided, the method comprising the following steps:
Determining a position of one point on the road as a starting point when the mobile subscriber of the communication network crosses the road based on the location data of the mobile subscriber;
Determining a waiting time that the mobile subscriber had to wait at the one point location before the mobile subscriber crossed the road;
And determining the position of the lighting signal as road related information based on the determined waiting time and the determined location of the spot.

According to yet another aspect of the invention, a system for determining at least one road related information is provided, the system comprising:
A processing device configured to determine a location on the road as a starting point when the mobile subscriber crosses the road based on the location data of the mobile subscriber in the communication network,
The processing device is configured to determine a waiting time that the mobile subscriber had to wait at the one point location before the mobile subscriber crossed the road;
The said processing apparatus is comprised so that the position of a light signal may be calculated | required as road relevant information based on the calculated | required waiting time and the calculated | required point position.

  According to yet another aspect of the present invention, a computer program is provided, which is a computer program executed on a computer, including program code for performing the method according to the present invention.

  In particular, the present invention is based on the knowledge that it is usually necessary to wait in front of a light signal before a road can be crossed. This makes it possible to infer the presence of a light signal at or around a point, advantageously in a simple manner. This knowledge can be advantageously used, for example, to update the digital map, or to verify or confirm the position of an existing light signal in the digital map. Ultimately, the reliability of navigation is enhanced based on such advantageous forms of digital maps. Particularly advantageously, this information about the presence of the light signal is made available to the various traffic participants, so that their own navigation can be optimally adapted accordingly. Thereby, for example, the traffic flow on the road can also be optimized. This advantageously also reduces the travel time of each individual traffic participant. In particular, driving styles adapted to existing light traffic lights adapt vehicle guidance to minimize fuel consumption.

  According to an advantageous embodiment, a plurality of road related information is required. These pieces of information are formed in particular in the same way or advantageously in different ways.

  According to another advantageous embodiment, said communication network may be a mobile radio network.

  According to another advantageous embodiment, said communication network may be the Internet.

  According to another embodiment, there may be multiple mobile subscribers. The embodiment with one subscriber is equally valid for a plurality of subscribers, and vice versa. That is, in this embodiment, the position data of each of the plurality of subscribers can be obtained. That is, in particular, a predetermined point is obtained based on the position data for each subscriber. In particular, each waiting time is determined for each subscriber. The position of the lighting signal is determined on the basis of the standby time determined each time and the position data determined each time. That is, under a plurality of subscribers, statistical evaluation of the position data is performed. For this reason, the position of the lighting signal is required with particularly high reliability. The number of subscribers required to infer the presence of a light signal with a certain probability depends on the specific individual case. In particular, their exact number depends on the time spent by the subscriber crossing the road. For example, at least 10 subscribers must cross the road from a predetermined point. As a result, inferences for lighting signals are made statistically. In particular, a period of at least 12 hours must be monitored in order to reasonably infer the presence of one light signal.

  According to an advantageous embodiment, the mobile subscriber may be a mobile terminal, in particular a mobile radio.

  Also included are cases where a particular subscriber is carried by a user or vehicle crossing the road by wording that the subscriber crosses the road. The user or vehicle here is a traffic participant.

  According to an advantageous embodiment, the subscriber speed is determined before and / or during the crossing and / or after the crossing, and the type of the light signal is determined as road-related information based on the determined subscriber speed. It is done. This subscriber speed corresponds in particular to the speed of the user or vehicle crossing the road.

  Different traffic participants have different speeds. These traffic participants may be, for example, vehicles, pedestrians, or bicycles. The vehicle may be, for example, a private vehicle, a commercial vehicle, or a two-wheeled vehicle. Since these traffic participants can be accompanied by mobile subscribers, depending on the subscriber speed, it can be seen whether the mobile subscriber is a pedestrian or is being carried by a vehicle driver or motorcycle. In other words, depending on the subscriber speed, it is possible to classify which traffic subscriber accompanied the mobile subscriber belongs to. For example, if the subscriber speed is between 3 km / h and 5 km / h, it can be inferred that he is a pedestrian. If the subscriber speed is between 5 km / h and 60 km / h, it can be inferred that the vehicle is a driver of a vehicle, for example, a private car. Furthermore, if the subscriber speed is between 5 km / h and 25 km / h, it can be inferred that he is a bicycle driver.

  According to another advantageous embodiment, the transverse direction of the subscriber is determined, and the orientation state of the lighting signal is determined as road related information based on the determined transverse direction.

  As a result, a technical effect can be obtained in which it is possible to know in particular in which traveling direction or for which lane the traffic lights are controlling traffic. According to another embodiment, the duration of the red light phase of the lighting signal is determined as road-related information based on the required waiting time.

  Thereby, for example, there is an effect that a simple means for detecting the duration of the red signal phase can be obtained.

  According to yet another embodiment, the crossing time required for the subscriber to cross the road is determined.

  As a result, for example, a technical effect is obtained that makes it possible to evaluate and adjust the phase of the lighting signal. In particular, the duration of the green light phase can be optimized for a given number of subscribers that can cross the road during the green light phase.

  According to another embodiment, date data for the determined waiting time may be determined.

  Thereby, for example, a technical effect that enables evaluation during the daytime is produced. In particular, it is possible to identify the daytime when the light signal has stopped operating. A non-operating light signal is identified in particular by a zero waiting time or, for example, by being shorter than the minimum waiting time of an operating light signal. The date data includes, for example, daytime, that is, general time and / or weekday.

  According to yet another advantageous embodiment, under a plurality of mobile subscribers, it is still possible to cross the road before another further mobile subscriber himself has to wait again before crossing. The elapsed time between the first mobile subscriber and the last mobile subscriber is obtained, and based on the obtained elapsed time, the duration of the green signal phase of the lighting signal is obtained as road related information.

  This produces a technical effect that particularly requires the duration of the green light phase.

  According to the examples described above, i.e. advantageously in the exemplary embodiment, a plurality of phases (signal phases) of the lighting signal are determined or determined, in particular the red and / or blue signal phases, i.e. these The duration of each phase is required.

  According to yet another embodiment, a communication interface is provided for receiving subscriber location data over the communication network. This produces a technical effect that allows the subscriber himself / herself to send location data directly to the system.

  In the following, the invention will be described in detail on the basis of advantageous embodiments.

Flowchart of a method for determining at least one road related information Schematic showing a system for determining at least one road-related information Figure showing an intersection

  FIG. 1 shows a flowchart of a method for determining at least one road related information.

  Here, according to step 101, the position of one point on the road, which is the starting point when a mobile subscriber of the communication network crosses the road, is determined. This detection is performed based on the subscriber location data. In step 103, the waiting time that the subscriber had to wait at the one point is determined before the subscriber crosses the road. In step 105, the position of the lighting signal is obtained as road-related information based on the obtained waiting time and the obtained position.

  FIG. 2 shows a system 201 for determining at least one road related information.

  The system 201 includes a communication interface 203 for receiving mobile subscriber location data over a communication network. The system 201 further includes a processing device 205, which is configured to perform the method according to the present invention. In the embodiment not shown, the system 201 may be configured not to include the communication interface 203.

  FIG. 3 shows an intersection 301 where four roads 303, 305, 307, and 309 intersect. Right-hand traffic is taking place here. Reference numeral 310 indicates a stop line before the intersection 301 on the road 307. Reference numeral 311 indicates a first point before crossing the road 305. The first point 311 is also referred to as a point “A”, and is simply indicated by the symbol “A” below. Reference numeral 313 denotes a second point existing along a street of the road 305 opposite to the first location 311. That is, the second location 313 is a point that is reached after crossing the road 305. This second location 313 is also referred to as point B, and is simply indicated by the symbol “B” below. A light signal is provided on the stop line 310, and this light signal is carrying out traffic control. However, this lighting signal is not shown here for the reason of making the drawing easier to see. In other additional roads 303, 305, 309, a light signal may be advantageously provided for traffic control.

  A vehicle 315, shown schematically, is about to cross the road 305 or intersection area. Hereinafter, the vehicle 315 is also simply referred to as “X”. Reference numeral 317 schematically represents a bicycle driver, which is also simply referred to as “Y” in the following. Reference numeral 319 schematically represents a pedestrian, which is hereinafter also simply referred to as “Z”. The direction of movement associated with the traffic of each individual traffic participant is represented by an arrow with a reference numeral 321. That is, these individual traffic participants are going to cross the road 305 from the point A to the point B (however, since the vehicle 315 is prohibited to travel on the sidewalk, it travels on the road 307 strictly. ) Each of these traffic participants or at least one occupant of the vehicle 315 is at least one mobile subscriber and possesses a mobile terminal such as a mobile radio. In another embodiment, traffic participants on other roads may aim to cross the intersection 301. That is, the embodiment shown in FIG. 3 is merely an example, and is not intended to be limited to this.

  Each of the mobile subscribers transmits their current location to a system according to the present invention, such as system 201 in FIG. 2, while traveling at intersection 301, during crossing road 305, and after crossing road 305. Thereafter, the processing device 205 can perform the following steps, among others.

  Based on the waiting time of traffic participants as described above at the intersection 301 (or any other intersection, junction, crosswalk, pedestrian bridge) via at least n communication network subscribers / users at the same location As a result, the electronic map (for example, digital map) according to the present invention supplements the signal information. However, it is necessary to configure n so that it can be statistical information over a predetermined time for each intersection / traffic signal (for example, the following evaluation: 10 users at the same place / 12h).

  If a digital map according to the present invention, for example a digital city map, already contains a plurality of traffic signal information, this can be further confirmed through the method according to the present invention, or Improvements are made (this eliminates the learning phase for traffic lights).

  It is also advantageous to distinguish between crossing according to traffic lights as pedestrians or crossing according to traffic lights as moving traffic participants (vehicles, bicycles). This is possible first. This is because the method is continuously implemented on the subscriber side, for example in a mobile terminal, and is not processed only at the intersection. Therefore, it is known that these types can be inferred depending on how fast the vehicle is moving forward and after crossing the intersection (for example, 3 km to 5 km per hour is a pedestrian, 5 km to 60 km per hour is a car driver As for the speed of 5km to 25km / h, it is possible to infer as a bicycle driver). Therefore, the light signal to be identified is a pedestrian traffic signal or a vehicle traffic signal.

  Furthermore, according to the embodiment of this method, GPS information and tracking information (subscriber position data) are used to determine the intersection direction of intersections and junctions and the orientation direction of traffic lights.

  According to this method embodiment, a data record is formed for each known traffic light. Here, a plurality of traffic light data records at each intersection, for example, data records for pedestrians moving from point A to point B (Z, A → B), data records for traffic participants on engine (motor) driven vehicles (X, A → B), there is a data record (Y, A → B) for a bicycle driver running on a parallel bicycle path. That is, for each intersection, a plurality of traffic light data records are formed or obtained, and each of the records includes a point where the crossing starts, a point where the crossing ends, and the type of traffic participant (pedestrian) Vehicle drivers, bicycle drivers, etc.).

  These traffic light data records, according to embodiments of the present invention, are for waiting times that vehicles, bicycles or pedestrians must wait on average in front of a red light, or wait until an intersection can cross Statistically supplemented about time. Thereby, a statistically necessary minimum waiting time of the red light phase is determined (from the waiting time of individual users at the same point / position, for example, the waiting time of pedestrian Z at point A).

  According to a further embodiment of the method, the traffic light data records are recorded by the duration of the green light phase, i.e. the first pedestrian (which may be any other traffic participant), e.g. a social network subscriber; Supplemented by the duration between the last pedestrian who could still cross the intersection during the green light phase (which could also be a social network subscriber). This is advantageously established during the existing signal phase.

  According to yet another embodiment of the method, the traffic light data record is also supplemented for the crossing duration of each traffic participant. Such information is also advantageous for later evaluation or later adjustment of the traffic light phase.

  According to an improved embodiment of the method, an analysis of changes according to daylight hours is also included. That is, advantageously, daytime time-dependent changes are analyzed and stored in the data records as well. According to this analysis, for example, the stop signal phase at the traffic light between 22:00 and 6:00 in the evening is taken long (for example, 5 minutes), while between 6:00 and 22:00 in the evening. The stop signal phase of the traffic light is set to 2 minutes, for example.

  According to another embodiment of the method, for example, a light traffic light outage may be extended to be identified at daytime. For example, if there is no time for the subscriber or cloud user to wait or stop at the traffic light between 0:00 and 5:00 in the early morning, the stoppage of the traffic light device is identified. The

  In summary, the present invention specifically includes the following considerations. That is, multiple existing information at intersections, junctions, and / or pedestrian crossings or pedestrian bridges, waiting time that the user waited in front of the light traffic lights located there, and the current position data of the user, especially the GPS position It is a consideration that correlates data with a communication network. These subscribers notify their location data via, for example, a social network, which makes it possible to obtain various information, for example, on the social network.

301 Intersection 303 Road 305 Road 307 Road 309 Road 310 Stop line 311 First point (Point A)
313 Second point (point B)
315 Vehicle (X)
317 Bicycle (Y)
319 Pedestrian (Z)
321 Direction of movement

Claims (9)

A method for determining at least one road-related information,
A step (101) of determining, based on the position data of the mobile subscriber, a position of one point on the road that is a starting point when the mobile subscriber of the communication network crosses the road;
Determining (103) a waiting time that the mobile subscriber had to wait at the one point location before the mobile subscriber crossed the road;
And (105) determining the position of the lighting signal as road-related information based on the determined waiting time and the determined location of the spot ,
Under several mobile subscribers, the first mobile subscriber and the last mobile subscriber who were still able to cross the road before additional mobile subscribers had to wait again before crossing And determining the duration of the green signal phase of the light signal as road-related information based on the determined elapsed time.
A method characterized by that. Between the front said transverse until after the cross, obtain a speed of the mobile subscriber, on the basis of the mobile subscriber rate the obtained, whether the traffic light signals is any pedestrian traffic or vehicle traffic The method according to claim 1, wherein: is obtained as road-related information. Seeking a transverse direction of the mobile subscriber, on the basis of the transverse direction in which the determined, whether controls the traffic to the or any lane traffic light signals is for any direction of travel, as the road-related information The method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the method is obtained. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein a duration of a red signal phase of the lighting signal is determined as road-related information based on the determined waiting time.   5. A method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the mobile subscriber determines the crossing time required to cross the road.   The method according to claim 1, wherein date data corresponding to the determined waiting time is determined. A system (201) for determining at least one road-related information,
A processing device (205) configured to determine a location on the road as a starting point when the mobile subscriber crosses the road based on location data of the mobile subscriber in the communication network; ,
It said processing unit (205), before said mobile subscriber crossing the road, which is configured to determine the waiting time had to wait the mobile subscriber in said one point positions,
The processing device (205) is configured to obtain the position of the lighting signal as road related information based on the obtained waiting time and the obtained position of the spot .
The processing unit (205) is the first move under a plurality of mobile subscribers, which was still able to cross the road before further mobile subscribers had to wait again before crossing. Determining the elapsed time between the subscriber and the last mobile subscriber and, based on the determined elapsed time, configured to determine the duration of the green signal phase of the lighting signal as road-related information;
A system (201) characterized by that. The system (201) of claim 7 , further comprising a communication interface (203) for receiving the mobile subscriber's location data via the communication network. A computer program executed on a computer, comprising a program code for performing the method according to any one of claims 1 to 6 .

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